One of the NBA’s rising stars is in the middle of an ugly controversy as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Josh Giddey faces allegations of having a sexual relationship with an underage girl. Pictures and videos of the basketball player and the girl who is reportedly a high school sophomore have gone viral on social media platforms. Let’s explore the Josh Giddey controversy in detail and understand what happened.
Josh Giddey’s viral underage girl scandal
The scandal started after intimate images of Josh Giddey and Livv Cook began circulating online. While the viral posts were made by an anonymous account, most of the source images seem to have been posted directly by the girl herself according to the captions.
https://twitter.com/wstgoat7/status/1727608780777456070
Now, the OKC Thunder player’s career hangs in the balance as he faces allegations of statutory rape. If the reports of the 21-year-old Australian engaging in a physical affair with the alleged 15-year-old are true, then the rising star’s time in the NBA is virtually over.
In one of the videos, Giddey even calls Livv Cook ‘his girl’ and even sends a video to her brother. While the original media have been taken down by the anonymous source, copies of them continue to be seen across social media platforms.
Is the OKC Thunder forward’s career in jeopardy?
Josh Giddey is currently in the 3rd year of his four-year contract with the Oklahoma-based basketball team with an option to extend for two more years. However, this seems highly unlikely thanks to the new scandal that has broken out.
His contract with OKC Thunder is valued at over $27 million as the Australian showed great potential with an average 12.3 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 4.5 assists in the 2023-24 season. At 19 years and 84 days, he became the youngest player in NBA history to record a triple double.
In the previous season, Josh Giddey produced an impressive average of 16.6 points, 7.9 rebounds and 6.2 assists per game. However, his current campaign has seen a drop as he has converted under 46% of his attempts. Many were expecting his career to improve as time progressed but as things stand with the controversy, Giddey’s career is surely in jeopardy.
Public reactions, comparisons to Karl Malone
Outrage against Josh Giddey on social media for his actions were practically inevitable. The OKC Thunder star is all set to be canceled in the public eye. Many have drawn comparisons to the infamous Karl Malone saga where the NBA star impregnated a 12-year-old girl and faced 165 months in prison.
Josh Giddey in the Oklahoma City Prison next year pic.twitter.com/4TQStPWFE2
— AAAAHHHHH (@vvRai354) November 23, 2023
Malone passing the torch to Giddey. #JoshGiddey pic.twitter.com/Xyo09foFkR
— Cowboys Burner (@NFLRumorz_) November 23, 2023
People have been calling for the Oklahoma City Thunder franchise to immediately sever ties with Josh Giddey and make sure he gets the legal punishment he supposedly deserves. No statements have been released by any of the parties involved in the scandal.
Legal implications for the NBA player
If Livv Cook’s real age turns out to be 15 like the allegations suggest, Josh Giddey will have violated the age of consent in the state of Oklahoma which is 16 years according to the Oklahoma Criminal Defense.
It’s Illegal in every righteous man’s heart. SHAME
— Kkenny7 (@kenny_kellan7) November 23, 2023
https://twitter.com/Miguel_Market/status/1727837924903866674
Furthermore, there is no date in the viral pictures and videos which implies that they could have even been taken a few years back making her even younger and the case more difficult for the basketball player. Some even suggest that they could be two different girls entirely.
